The Dancing Faun.
by FARR, Florence
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
London, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: John Lane; Roberts Bros., Boston,, 1894. First edition, first issue, designated by the blue cloth and key on spine in gilt; number 2 in John Lane's Keynotes series. Farr's first novel, The Dancing Faun, is strikingly Wildean in its style, so much so that it has been accused of "parody rather than discipleship" (Harris, p. 1412). The work "combines elements of melodrama, social realism, and comedy of manners" (Orlando). Florence Farr (1860-1917) was an actress, director, journalist, women's rights activist, chief adept of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and close friend and collaborator of William Butler Yeats. She attended Queen's College, the first woman's college in England, and alongside this work and a second novel published several academic texts on occult history and literary theory, and a feminist treatise, Modern Woman: Her Intentions, in 1910. The Keynotes Series, comprising 33 novels and short story collections, was published in a distinctive format featuring Aubrey Beardsley's cover designs and embellishments by John Lane between 1893 and 1897. The cover of this work notably features a caricature of the artist James McNeill Whistler in the form of the faun. Beardsley produced the designs for 22 Keynotes volumes while he was working on The Yellow Book, which John Lane was also publishing. The Keynotes series shared a close relationship with the progressive literary trends of 1890s. Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt, key monogram to spine and rear board, titles and pictorial panel to cover in dark blue, all designed by Aubrey Beardsley, top edge trimmed, others untrimmed. With the publisher's advertisements to the rear. Title page design by Aubrey Beardsley printed in black and red. Contemporary ownership inscription to half-title. Spine cocked and a little faded, with bumping to spine ends, tips and extremities, rear board slightly scuffed, rear hinge partly cracked but firm. Still a very nice copy. Lasner 26; Wendell V. Harris, "John Lane's Keynotes Series and the Fiction of the 1890's", PMLA, Vol. 83, No. 5 (Oct., 1968), p. 1412.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Peter Harrington (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 137146
- Title
- The Dancing Faun.
- Author
- FARR, Florence
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Place of Publication
- London: John Lane; Roberts Bros., Boston,
- Date Published
- 1894
Terms of Sale
Peter Harrington
All major credit cards are accepted. Both UK pounds and US dollars (exchange rate to be agreed) accepted. Books may be returned within 14 days of receipt for any reason, please notify first of returned goods.
About the Seller
Peter Harrington
Biblio member since 2006
London
About Peter Harrington
Since its establishment, Peter Harrington has specialised in sourcing, selling and buying the finest quality original first editions, signed, rare and antiquarian books, fine bindings and library sets. Peter Harrington first began selling rare books from the Chelsea Antiques Market on London's King's Road. For the past twenty years the business has been run by Pom Harrington, Peter's son.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Hinge
- The portion of the book closest to the spine that allows the book to be opened and closed.
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Cracked
- In reference to a hinge or a book's binding, means that the glue which holds the opposing leaves has allowed them to separate,...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Cocked
- Refers to a state where the spine of a book is lightly "twisted" in such a way that the front and rear boards of a book do not...
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...